Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Tevis-area bats with rabies!

> I am reading in the Los Angeles times this morning the following 
> ...I will quote.
>
> AUBURN. Bats found to be Rabid; Medical checks advised
>
> "At least two of 16 young bats found on the ground under the old 
> Foresthill Bridge were rabid, and Placer County health officials are 
> warning anyone who may have handled them to talk to a doctor. 
> Two of the nine bats tested were rabid, and tests are being 
> conducted on the other bats, said Mark Miller, the county's director 
> of communicable disease control.  Several adolescents reportedly 
> touched the live bats July 12."
>
> Well hopefully it has been in their local news, earlier this 
> week, that they had a suspicion. I doubt any riders have any risk, 
> it would be crew members and spectators , bored and waiting, going 
> for a hike and pick up a sick bat, that I would worry about. Does 
> anyone know where the Foresthill bridge is? I don't recall it being 
> anywhere near the Foresthill vet check, or seeing it on the 
> California loop, but I don't know for sure. At any rate, if anyone 
> is communicating with people up there, let them know to stay away 
> from any grounded bats.
>
> Beth

As I recall,  the Foresthill Bridge is the  highway bridge that 
parallels No Hands Bridge.  Swimmers and rafters climbing down to 
play in the river would be the most likely to be under that bridge.

I don't know about elsewhere, but it's hard to live in our county and 
not get the word about not touching sick bats -- rabies is endemic in 
our area and the bats and skunks are the mammals that seem to die 
most publically and hence are the ones they find it in.

Even so, I just bought a bat house 
(http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/bat_houses.asp?src=goto&kw=bat_house) 
to mount under the house eaves -- with West Nile Virus moving west 
I'm more concerned about mosquito control than I am the very low 
chance I'd get bit by a rabid bat *and* be too dumb to seek treatment 
(my horses, cats, and dogs are vaccinated routinely against rabies).
--
Lynn Kinsky     Santa Ynez, CA
http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=